Searching for a Hero in The Autobiography of Thorton J. Wright

A new play written by J.R. Teeter and produced by The Bread and Water Theatre is to be performed in Rochester from Sept. 17 - Oct. 9th. <!--break--> <img class="dada-image-center" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/migrate_dada/autobiography07_esmall.jpg"><br><p><font size="3"><b><i><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ">The Autobiography of Thorton J. Wright</span></i></b><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ">, BWT’s fall production, is a full-length play by J.R. Teeter, known for shorter plays such as <i>That Kiss</i>, and the BWT adaptations of <i>The Little Prince</i> and <i>The Yellow Wallpaper</i>.</span></font></p><p /><p><font size="3"><b><i><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ">Autobiography…</span></i></b><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "> is centered on the study of the recently deceased Thorton, a social critic whose public persona earned him the nickname Mr. Americana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>His death sparks the arrival of two men with two differing agendas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>For Arthur – a young historian sent to research a book on the late man of letters – Thorton “stood for America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>The kind of America that you can see in Life Magazine and Norman Rockwell pictures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>A time when America had values and believed in something.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>For Stan – The cynical son of privileged parents – Thorton was “Just some guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>He wrote some books, made some speeches and then he offed himself.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Constance – Thorton’s young trophy-wife turned widow – soon appears to confirm Thorton’s suicide and adds her own point of view concerning her late husband, “He was a hero to me.”</span></font></p><p /><p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3">Thorton’s suicide turns into a slippery slope of discovery as Arthur deconstructs the life of his childhood idol in order to prove the man a hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>How can a hero give up his aspirations?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Why would a hero divorce his wife and marry a woman that is young enough to be his daughter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>What kind of hero takes his own life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>These are all questions Stan poses to Arthur attempting to shake him of his idealism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>These conflicts persist and create the dramatic tension of <b><i>Autobiography…</i></b></font></span></p><p /><p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3">“The question of heroism appears often in the media, especially in an election year,” according to Artistic Director/playwright, J.R. Teeter, “But everyone is flawed in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>It is impossible for people to be that perfect – heroic.”</font></span></p><p /><p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3"></font></span></p><p /><p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3">Ultimately, <b><i>Autobiography…</i></b> is not about the book Arthur uncovers in his search for heroic proof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>It is about the struggle of three characters and their search for something to believe in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>“We can be heroes if we want to be and we need people to look up to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>We need role models.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>People that can show us the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Thorton is that to me and I’ll never stop believing in him,” speaks Arthur near <b><i>Autobiography’s…</i></b> end.</font></span></p><p /><p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3">The cast includes: Stephanie Roosa (Constance), Bryan Adams (Arthur) and J.R. Teeter (Stan).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Ms. Roosa has appeared in Exact Theatre Company’s <i>The Balcony</i>, Arden Conservatory’s <i>As You Like It</i>, Penfield Player’s <i>Peril on the High Sea</i> and <i>Hartburn Hotel</i>, Blackfriar’s <i>Elephant Man</i>, and is making her BWT debut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>The other two have appeared at BWT before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Mr. Adams was in <i>That Kiss </i>and <i>Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake</i>,<i> </i>produced as part of BWT’s Rainbow Theater Festival, Mr. Teeter BWT’s Artistic Director and company member was most recently seen in Rainbow Theater Festival’s <i>One Act Play </i>and <i>Lambda Project: An Empty Closet</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">      </span></font></span></p><p /><p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3">The creative team consists of Associate Director and Company member Carl Girard (Director), J.R. Teeter (Lighting Design) and Kate Sherman (Stage Manager).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Mr. Girard previously directed <i>That Kiss </i>and <i>Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake</i> for BWT’s Rainbow Theater Festival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span></font></span></p><p /><p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3">Founded in 2000, Bread &amp; Water Theatre is committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to a broad-based audience and acting as a positive agent of change in its community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Under the artistic direction of J.R. Teeter, BWT develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dramatically-changing world through new works of drama, original adaptations of classic texts, rejuvenation of rare plays and aspires to be a major force in American theatre, providing audiences with challenging contemporary drama and innovative community outreach programs.    </font></span></p><p /><p><font size="3"><b><i><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ">The Autobiography of Thorton J. Wright</span></i></b><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "> will be presented by Bread &amp; Water Theatre at New Life Presbyterian Church located at 243 Rosedale Street beginning September 17th and running through to October 9th, 2004.  Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 pm.  Single tickets range from $10-$15 and may be purchased in person at the Bread &amp; Water Theatre box office or through forms available at <a href="http://www.breadandwatertheatre.org/">http://www.BreadandWaterTheatre.org</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>For more information, call <b>(585) 538-2105</b>.</span></font></p><p /><p /><img class="dada-image-center" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/migrate_dada/autobiography06_esmall.jpg"><br> <img class="dada-image-center" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/migrate_dada/autobiography05_esmall.jpg"><br> <img class="dada-image-center" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/migrate_dada/autobiography09_esmall.jpg"><br>

<p>A new play written by J.R. Teeter and produced by The Bread and Water Theatre is to be performed in Rochester from Sept. 17 - Oct. 9th.</p> <!--break--><p><img class="dada-image-center" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/migrate_dada/autobiography07_esmall.jpg" /><br /> </p><p><font size="3"><b><i><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ">The Autobiography of Thorton J. Wright</span></i></b><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ">, BWT’s fall production, is a full-length play by J.R. Teeter, known for shorter plays such as <i>That Kiss</i>, and the BWT adaptations of <i>The Little Prince</i> and <i>The Yellow Wallpaper</i>.</span></font></p> <p></p> <p><font size="3"><b><i><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ">Autobiography…</span></i></b><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "> is centered on the study of the recently deceased Thorton, a social critic whose public persona earned him the nickname Mr. Americana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>His death sparks the arrival of two men with two differing agendas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>For Arthur – a young historian sent to research a book on the late man of letters – Thorton “stood for America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>The kind of America that you can see in Life Magazine and Norman Rockwell pictures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>A time when America had values and believed in something.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>For Stan – The cynical son of privileged parents – Thorton was “Just some guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>He wrote some books, made some speeches and then he offed himself.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Constance – Thorton’s young trophy-wife turned widow – soon appears to confirm Thorton’s suicide and adds her own point of view concerning her late husband, “He was a hero to me.”</span></font></p> <p></p> <p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3">Thorton’s suicide turns into a slippery slope of discovery as Arthur deconstructs the life of his childhood idol in order to prove the man a hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>How can a hero give up his aspirations?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Why would a hero divorce his wife and marry a woman that is young enough to be his daughter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>What kind of hero takes his own life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>These are all questions Stan poses to Arthur attempting to shake him of his idealism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>These conflicts persist and create the dramatic tension of <b><i>Autobiography…</i></b></font></span></p> <p></p> <p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3">“The question of heroism appears often in the media, especially in an election year,” according to Artistic Director/playwright, J.R. Teeter, “But everyone is flawed in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>It is impossible for people to be that perfect – heroic.”</font></span></p> <p></p> <p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3"></font></span></p> <p></p> <p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3">Ultimately, <b><i>Autobiography…</i></b> is not about the book Arthur uncovers in his search for heroic proof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>It is about the struggle of three characters and their search for something to believe in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>“We can be heroes if we want to be and we need people to look up to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>We need role models.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>People that can show us the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Thorton is that to me and I’ll never stop believing in him,” speaks Arthur near <b><i>Autobiography’s…</i></b> end.</font></span></p> <p></p> <p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3">The cast includes: Stephanie Roosa (Constance), Bryan Adams (Arthur) and J.R. Teeter (Stan).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Ms. Roosa has appeared in Exact Theatre Company’s <i>The Balcony</i>, Arden Conservatory’s <i>As You Like It</i>, Penfield Player’s <i>Peril on the High Sea</i> and <i>Hartburn Hotel</i>, Blackfriar’s <i>Elephant Man</i>, and is making her BWT debut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>The other two have appeared at BWT before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Mr. Adams was in <i>That Kiss </i>and <i>Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake</i>,<i> </i>produced as part of BWT’s Rainbow Theater Festival, Mr. Teeter BWT’s Artistic Director and company member was most recently seen in Rainbow Theater Festival’s <i>One Act Play </i>and <i>Lambda Project: An Empty Closet</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">      </span></font></span></p> <p></p> <p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3">The creative team consists of Associate Director and Company member Carl Girard (Director), J.R. Teeter (Lighting Design) and Kate Sherman (Stage Manager).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Mr. Girard previously directed <i>That Kiss </i>and <i>Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake</i> for BWT’s Rainbow Theater Festival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span></font></span></p> <p></p> <p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "><font size="3">Founded in 2000, Bread &amp; Water Theatre is committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to a broad-based audience and acting as a positive agent of change in its community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>Under the artistic direction of J.R. Teeter, BWT develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dramatically-changing world through new works of drama, original adaptations of classic texts, rejuvenation of rare plays and aspires to be a major force in American theatre, providing audiences with challenging contemporary drama and innovative community outreach programs.    </font></span></p> <p></p> <p><font size="3"><b><i><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ">The Autobiography of Thorton J. Wright</span></i></b><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "> will be presented by Bread &amp; Water Theatre at New Life Presbyterian Church located at 243 Rosedale Street beginning September 17th and running through to October 9th, 2004.  Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 pm.  Single tickets range from $10-$15 and may be purchased in person at the Bread &amp; Water Theatre box office or through forms available at <a href="http://www.breadandwatertheatre.org/">http://www.BreadandWaterTheatre.org</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>For more information, call <b>(585) 538-2105</b>.</span></font></p> <p></p> <p></p><img class="dada-image-center" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/migrate_dada/autobiography06_esmall.jpg" /><br /><br /> <img class="dada-image-center" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/migrate_dada/autobiography05_esmall.jpg" /><br /><br /> <img class="dada-image-center" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/migrate_dada/autobiography09_esmall.jpg" /><br />